Harry Potter Morning Light

Chapter 2079 Tianshui Jiji ([-])

"Look."

Bonaparte found a very thick book from the box in the accompanying library. She opened it and saw that it was full of comics.

"This is a British 'caricature'." He said as he drew the curtains of the carriage.

Georgiana flipped through the colorful cartoons by candlelight, many of them were satirical cartoons, and one of them was obviously painted as the Chinese emperor receiving foreign missions, but this painting was wrong from all aspects.

She didn't know what Qianlong looked like, but he couldn't be as fat as in the comics, and he was still lying on the scarlet Persian carpet. The Forbidden City in the travel magazine had the Golden Luan Hall, and the emperor should be sitting on the throne.

Standing next to him was a man holding a red machete in his hand. The knife had red patterns, but it looked more like blood at first glance. The British envoy knelt on his knees with a frightened face, looking like he was being threatened up.

"What is this painting? The golden tent of the Mongols?" Georgiana asked in disbelief.

"Have you seen how they painted me?" said Bonaparte indifferently.

Georgiana was speechless for a moment.

"I heard that the Macartney delegation's meeting with the emperor did not go well this time, and their conditions were not fulfilled." Bonaparte sat beside her, leaning against her tightly, and put his weight on her. , like she was a pillow.

"On what terms?" Georgiana asked.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'who is your friend, who is your ally'."

"I've heard it now, who said it?" She asked excitedly.

"Didn't your English friends tell you?" he asked with a smile.

"Someone told me, 'France is our untrustworthy ally'." Georgiana answered honestly.

"Silver is important, but having silver doesn't mean having everything. East Asia has a tributary system that has been practiced for many years, and we are forming a new system. My continental system, and England's trading system. They want a system that can be freely plundered. market."

Georgiana was startled.

"Do you know what a tribute is?" asked Bonaparte.

"Yes, I think I know." She said softly, "The envoys of the vassal states will present gifts when they meet with the monarch."

"This is the etiquette of the East. In the past, the sultan of Turkey also paid tribute to me with pearls. According to the etiquette, I want to give him a gift in return, which is the tapestry you found. If England needs to establish a trade base in various Asian countries, they must destroy this tribute Only in this way can we obtain the market within the empire and the tribute system circle. Many British and Dutch people think that diplomacy will not work, but Macartney thinks that Qianlong is an enlightened monarch, as long as he explains to the emperor that Guangzhou Customs Let him realize that the corruption of officials has caused business difficulties, and their business demands will be responded to.”

"And they didn't get what they wanted," Georgiana said, looking at the painting in her hand.

"Have you heard what Mr. Brown said just now, do you think the Emperor is an enlightened monarch?" asked Bonaparte.

Georgiana had nothing to say.

"Sooner or later, the trade logic of the United Kingdom and the tributary logic of the Chinese Empire will conflict. Chinese silk still has export restrictions. Official merchant ships from Jiangsu and Zhejiang will export silk and satin when they go to Japan to purchase copper and silver. Guangzhou only has raw silk, Mr. Brown The roll of silk used by the court is very precious, I heard that he still has another roll, you..."

"I don't want it." She said without hesitation, "I like fish, but it doesn't mean I have to accept it, it means I have to accommodate some of his demands."

"I'll tell him that you like the fan he sent you very much." Bonaparte squeezed her hand and said, "Remember what I told you just now, 'Who are your friends and who are your allies'?"

"Is the ally going to accept the gift?" she asked confusedly.

"Because of India, Britain has a foundation for development in East Asia. The inflow of silver has brought prosperity to the empire, but it has also planted factors of instability. The silver mines in Peru are almost exhausted. You know how short the UK is now. money."

"But it would be unwise to go to war with China now."

"Yes, it is not wise to go to war 'now'." Bonaparte repeated her words. "I have heard that they are still using matchlocks, and are not interested in the cannon and muskets that the embassy is bringing."

Once again Georgiana had nothing to say.

"There are three ways to solve this problem. First, Britain uses force to destroy the tributary system and coerce the empire to manage trade on 'reasonable terms'. Second, Britain completely abandons trade. Third, Britain absolutely obeys all regulations of the tributary system. Do you think England Which path will you choose?"

"Oh." She said in frustration.

"One day I will encounter the same problem. It is unwise for Britain and France to go to war 'now'. Mr. Brown loves you very much, so don't you break his heart." Bonaparte said jokingly.

"What?" she asked confusedly.

He seemed to be thinking of how to explain it to her.

"Because sugar and silk are off limits?" she asked.

"This is the benefit of free trade." He immediately replied with a sigh of relief.

"But that's wrong," Georgiana said.

"Why do you feel that way?" he asked back.

Georgiana had seen a rich man take his mistress to buy luxuries in London while his wife lived frugally and ran the house.

The same is true for Victorian men. It is a fashion to have an elegant mistress outside, and it is fashionable to use a mistress instead of a legal spouse to take them out. Even French men are like this. The wife gave birth at home. Louis XV always brought his mistress to attend various public occasions.

The liberation of desire and love is one of the driving forces of luxury consumption. Which of those "adventurers" is not looking for a rich man with a successful career?

"You said you liked candy."

"It's not sugar squeezed by slaves." She said listlessly, "Let's go."

After she finished speaking, she planned to throw away the album in her hand and leave the carriage.

But just as she stood up, she was pulled into his arms by him.

It was a passionate kiss, not like at the banquet venue before, even that was bold enough.

The carriage was filled with the rustling sound of cloth rubbing against each other, which made her feel immoral.

"He's going to kill me, isn't he?" he asked after the kiss was over.

Georgiana looked into his eyes.

"Unless he comes to me." She said calmly.

He also looked at her without saying a word.

"You want to leave early, Sultan?" Georgiana asked.

"I like the old me, the power-loving me," said Bonaparte.

"One day we will all live in the way we hate the most, but you seem to hate a lot of people in the past." She said with a smile, tidied up her demeanor, and then left the carriage.

The moment she opened the car door, there was a burst of cheers, and then she saw a miraculous scene, a ball of fire actually burning in the water column of the fountain, which looked like a flame fountain blending water and fire.

"There's oil in the water!" said a woman, "It's the oil that burns on the water."

"No, it's just plain water, I can assure you." A man said "Can you please stop."

"Of course." A young man replied, and then the fire fountain stopped spraying water, and of course the fire went out.

"Look, it's just water," said the man who had just spoken.

Everyone started whispering.

"Want to go and see what's so strange?" Georgiana asked Bonaparte, but his face was gloomy and sullen.

So she left him alone and went to see what was going on over there.

(End of this chapter)